Environment

WDFW to Discuss Wolf Impact

Submitted by Camille Troxel on Wednesday, March 27th, 12:20 pm

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will hold a public meeting tonight in Colville to discuss the potential impact of wolves on area game.

State and local WDFW wildlife managers will discuss the effect that wolves have had on the populations of area wildlife and game such as deer and elk.

“We want to talk to people in northeast Washington about this issue because that’s the area of the state that has the largest number of wolves”,said Dave Ware, the WDFW game manager. The department does not have any measurable impacts of wolves on game species in Washington but reports from other states have raised concerns.

Local residents are encouraged to come to the meeting being held from 6-8 p.m. at the Colville Ag Trade Center located at 317 W. Astor Ave.

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Using competition to promote math and science in students

Submitted by Joseph Suttner, Producer

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013, 1:22pm

Using competition to promote math and science in students

The U.S. Government is using competition to get America's youth interested in math and science.

Several middle school students from around our area are participating in a regional competition for the 23rd Annual National Science Bowl, put on by the Department of Energy.

In the regional competitions, teams of four are asked "tough mathematical problems and tested on their knowledge of a vast number of areas including astronomy, biology, Earth science and physics."

Middle school students from Centennial, Chase, All Saints, Kettle Falls, Creston, Lincoln and Moscow will all be part of the competition.

For the past 23 years, more than 225,000 students have participated in what has become one of the nation's largest science competitions. For 2013, about 9,500 more high school students and 4,500 middle school students are expected to participate.

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Photo contest: We want your best pictures from the mountain!

Submitted by Jacob Palmer on Wednesday, February 20th, 12:42 pm

With ski season entering its final stretch, we at KXLY want to see the awesome mountain photos you took of your friends and family shredding.

Send your best shots to news4@kxly.com (with the subject line: Photo contest), and the newsroom will vote on the best photo, which will be shown during Chief Meteorologist Kris Crocker's ski report on Friday's newscasts. We will put together a slideshow for the KXLY Communities sites, so even if you don't win, your work will still be showcased.

Make sure to include where you are, the name of the photographer, names of the people in the photo and your contact information so you can be reached for a short story.

So sift through those awesome stills of your loved ones dominating some pow-pow and send them in for a chance to be shown to the Inland Northwest.

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Time to get rid of those Christmas trees, here's where you can do just that

Submitted by Jacob Palmer on Friday, December 28th, 5:21 pm

While the weather outside remains frightful, the fire delightful, the tree in your living room might be seeming more and more ridiculous the further away Dec. 25 becomes. But, good news, Spokane-area residents have plenty of options in getting rid of that festive fir.

If you live in a single-family home in the city of Spokane, you have a number of options, but the most convenient would be to drop it off on your regularly-scheduled pickup day with the rest of your trash – if the tree is taller than 6 feet, the city requires you to cut it in half. Waste Management will stop offering this service Jan. 18.

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Statewide burn ban in effect

Submitted by Robyn Nance, Good Morning Northwest Anchor

Monday, September 17th, 2012, 8:05am

Warm and extremely dry conditions are a dangerous combination in the Inland Northwest; so much so, that the Washington Department of Natural Resources has issued a statewide burn ban.

The ban effects through the end of September for all DNR-protected lands. It includes all forest lands in Washington except for federal lands, which have their own published restrictions.

Campgrounds may have additional burn restrictions in place. Campers should check with their campground host before starting a campfire.

Campfires are only authorized in approved camp grounds with approved fire rings.

Never leave a campfire unattended, and be sure it is completely dead out and cold to the touch before leaving the camp site.

Be aware that common recreational activities can cause fires, such as target shooting, cigarette butts, and trailer chains dragging on concrete.

Do not park any vehicles in dry, grassy areas, as the heat from exhaust systems can ignite the dry grass.

For tips on protecting your home and family before a wildfire, visit www.firewise.org. Check for fire danger levels by county: http://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/firedanger/BurnRisk.aspx

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Finding a new home for a lone beaver

Submitted by Nicole Hensley, Web Producer

Wednesday, August 15th, 2012, 3:58pm

Updated - 10:50 p.m. - A rancher knew it was either the beaver or his detention pond. He could shoot the animal, but there had to be a better way. Before any drastic action was taken, ecologists with a Spokane non-profit came to the rescue last week to live-trap a young beaver near Addy, Washington.

Recently exiled from its previous beaver colony, the young guy or gal was finding its new home in a rancher’s pond. A restoration ecologist with The Lands Council, Joe Cannon, says it’s part of their job to find problem beavers in the region who are encroaching on human infrastructure by damaging property.

“He didn’t want to kill the beaver, but he didn’t want to mess up the system in his irrigation,” Cannon said.

This beaver was Cannon’s first relocation trip of the year. The adventure will take the young animal to Okanogan County where it will hopefully make its new home.

“We have to find a good spot for them which is the hardest part because you can’t let them go and get into trouble again,” Cannon said.

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"Fire Boss" starts its 60 day contract in Deer Park

Submitted by Nicole Hensley, Web Producer

Wednesday, July 11th, 2012, 3:50pm

"Fire Boss" starts its 60 day contract in Deer Park

The tarmac at Deer Park Municipal Airport isn’t as hot as the exhaust fuming from their Fire Boss tanker as it comes in for an afternoon landing. The pilot, Eric Johnson, wipes the sweat from his brow and he climbs out of the plane. He just returned from the Colville area to drop about 800 gallons of water from Lake Roosevelt on a small wildfire.

Tuesday was the first day of the plane’s 60-day contract with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Washington Department of Natural Resources. The aircraft will be stationed at the airport to respond to local wildfires as its pilot stands by inside the airport’s office.

There are only three out of 57 total Fire Bosses in the United States to fight wildfires. There’s one in Coeur d’Alene waiting for a contractor and one being used near Boise. The majority of them are based in Europe with Spain, Italy and Croatia leading the pack. The planes are Air Tractor 802s with amphibious floats manufactured out of Minnesota. They can scoop water from nearby rivers and lakes to help ground crews put out fires, raging in the wilderness.

Johnson has been a pilot since 1971 and fighting fires from the air for 22 years. Being stationed out of Deer Park is an easy commute since he only lives 20 miles away. He says the best part of his job is the satisfaction that he’s helping.

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